Worthing

Worthing's population grew in the decade to 2011. Data from the census show there were changes in health, religion and housing tenure.

The population passed 100,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Worthing increased by 7.3%, from just under 97,600 to 105,000.

The addition of almost 7,100 people means this area's population increased at a similar rate to the overall population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Worthing was home to, on average, 23 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Health improved

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's well-being.

The percentage of Worthing residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 9.3% in 2001 to 5.3% in 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (80%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 66% in 2001. The percentage of Worthing residents that described their health as fair decreased from 24% to 14%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell faster here than the figure for the whole of the South East (from 7.2% in 2001 to 4.4% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Worthing decreased by 4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Worthing, the South East and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Worthing

The number of people in Worthing that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 17,000 in 2001 to just under 32,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 17% to 30% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across the South East (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Worthing that described themselves as Christian decreased from just over 70,000 in 2001 to just under 61,000 in 2011 (from 72% to 58%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from about 8,500 to about 8,700. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 8.7% to 8.4%.

About 1,300 people (0.8%) said they were Muslim, up from about 730 in 2001 (1.3%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Worthing increased by 13 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Worthing by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Fall in home ownership

The percentage of households that owner their home fell in Worthing at a faster rate than in nearby Adur.

In Worthing, the proportion of home ownership decreased from 77% in 2001 to 69% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Adur decreased from 78% to 74%.

Across the South East, the share of households that owner their home decreased from 73% to 67%.

Private renting in Worthing increased from 12% to 19%, while the rate of social housing increased from 9.7% to 10.0%.

The rate of home ownership was higher than across the South East

Percentage of households that that owner their home across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in rate of unemployment

The percentage of Worthing residents that were unemployed increased from 2.1% to 3.5% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just over one in two (55%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 54% in 2001. The percentage of Worthing residents that were self-employed increased from 9.5% to 11%.

The proportion of unemployed people increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 2.3% in 2001 to 3.5% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 3.4% to 4.4%.

The rate of unemployment in Worthing increased by 1.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Worthing, the South East and England that said they were unemployed, March 2001 and March 2011

More people worked short hours

The percentage of employed people in Worthing working less than 16 hours increased from 2.1% to 3.2% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just under 1 in 11 (9.0%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, compared with 12% in 2001.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 2.1% in 2001 to 3.1% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 1.9% to 3.1%.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week in Worthing increased by 1.1 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Worthing, the South East and England that said they had worked less than 16 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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